Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Intentional Interim, Pr. Steve Sylvester.
“The time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Well, I guess “the time” has come. The time when people are slavering after a gospel that isn’t a gospel. The time when sound teaching is passe, when ears are not only tickled with a feather, but ham-handedly massaged. The time when charlatans are gathered hand over fist to make the sign of the cross over nonsense and heresy, and truth is shrugged off or mugged in a back alley. You know what I’m talking about, right? Christian Nationalists cosplaying being followers of Jesus. Empire putting a crown of thorns on its head and styling itself the victim. Racism pretending Phillip didn’t open his heart to the Ethiopian eunuch, bigotry denying that the Jerusalem Council chose to embrace Gentiles, misogyny forgetting that Mary was the first Evangelist.
In fairness, of course, none of this is anything new. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he was not anticipating our current situation. He was addressing what Christian communities were in the early decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Things were a mess. Some were doing their best to love God and neighbor, while others were crassly using him. So, Paul wrote to Timothy with this advice: “Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching… Be sober in everything, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.”
This is good advice not only for Timothy, but for all of us. Be faithful. Do what you can do. And although it isn’t overtly written, the encouragement to “do the work of the an evangelist” and to “carry out your ministry fully” implies we are to do everything we do with love. As someone who is truly struggling with the co-opting of the gospel, I very much need to hear that it’s my job just to do what I can do. I also need to be reminded that whatever I do, I must love others as Jesus loves me. That’s very difficult, because there are times when I just want to spray a verbal flamethrower at people.
And I remind you that we are “a priesthood of believers.” That means it’s not just pastors who endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist and carry out our ministry. As part of that priesthood, this is your calling as well. Do what you can do, don’t lose heart, be persistent and patient in proclaiming the message.
